Late heroics save Sox from a deep hole

Trailing the Tigers by five runs in the sixth inning of Game 2 of the American League championship series, and so far held without a hit by Max Scherzer, the Red Sox came back the way they have so many times before, scoring five unanswered runs to win 6-5 in stunning fashion. on Sunday night.

Just when the Red Sox seemed done, not only on Sunday night but in some sense for the season, they did what they’ve done all year.

Trailing the Tigers by five runs in the sixth inning of Game 2 of the American League championship series, and so far held without a hit by Max Scherzer, they came back the way they have so many times before, scoring five unanswered runs to win 6-5 in stunning fashion.

The ALCS is now even at a game apiece, with Game 3 in Detroit on Tuesday night.

With one out in the eighth inning, Jose Veras on in relief of Scherzer, and the Tigers leading 5-1, Will Middlebrooks stroked what seemed like a meaningless double to left field. Drew Smyly was then summoned by Tigers manager Jim Leyland to face Jacoby Ellsbury, and walked the Red Sox center fielder.

Al Albuquerque was then brought on to pitch to Shane Victorino. He struck out the right fielder, but gave up a single to Dustin Pedroia to load the bases.

At that point, Leyland summoned Benoit to face the mighty David Ortiz.

An inning later, Jonny Gomes led off against Rick Porcello with an infield single, and when shortstop Jose Iglesias threw wild to first Gomes was awarded second base. Gomes reached third on a wild pitch with Saltalamacchia at the plate, and then Saltalamacchia delivered the game-winning hit with a single through the left side of a drawn-in infield.

Boston’s victory completely changes the complexion of a series Detroit was on the verge of commanding.

The Red Sox were humiliated in Game 1. Anibal Sanchez and three relievers held them hitless into the ninth inning of a 1-0 shutout, and struck out 17 Boston batters, tying the record for a nine-inning postseason game.

Page 2 of 2 - And through nearly six innings of Game 2 it seemed like more of the same, only worse. Scherzer was continuing the work begun by Sanchez, holding the Red Sox hitless while striking them out at an alarming rate.

But then something changed.

They broke the ice in the sixth inning, just after the Tigers had scored four runs to take a seemingly insurmountable 5-0 lead.

With two outs, Shane Victorino ruined Scherzer’s no-hitter with a solid single to center field. Dustin Pedroia immediately followed with a wall-scraping double off the Green Monster to drive in Victorino.

But then Scherzer recovered, striking out David Ortiz, and then pitching a scoreless seventh inning to give the Detroit bullpen a 5-1 lead it was unable to hold.

Scherzer allowed one run on two hits, struck out 13 and walked two.

Besides the pitching of Scherzer, the Red Sox were down 5-0 because Clay Buchholz was unable to deliver the kind of pitching performance he did throughout the regular season, when healthy.

After allowing a run in the second inning, he was tagged for four in the top of the sixth.

First, Miguel Cabrera hit a fly ball that just cleared the Green Monster in left field, giving Detroit a 2-0 lead.

Prince Fielder then doubled, Victor Martinez followed with a double of his own, driving in Fielder, and after another flyout to center field, Alex Avila homered over the Tigers’ bullpen to give Detroit a 5-0 lead.

When Omar Infante singled to center, Red Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough. Brandon Workman came on and got the third out, but the decisive damage had been done.

Detroit scored its first run in the second inning when Martinez doubled to left-center field with one out and scored on a single to left by Jhonny Peralta.

Buchholz allowed five runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked none.

After he left, however, Workman, Felxi Doubront, and Koji Uehara kept the Tigers at bay.

Now, an improbable season of brilliance that followed one of the low points in Red Sox history, instead of being pushed toward the brink of closure is alive and well.

In a game that seemed lost, after they’d been humiliated through one game and two-thirds of another, the Red Sox won.